Recently, the topic of sodium has experienced resurgence in public consciousness. National, regional and local dialogue has raised sodium’s profile, and the time for self-examination has arrived. From industry to the individual, all are being asked to reflect on issues surrounding food and public health, as the discussion over sodium in the food supply evolves. Consumers and industry alike have begun looking toward the future of food in the U.S. and the role sodium will play.
Since 2009, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) has monitored trends in consumer knowledge of, and attitudes towards, sodium. Although there is a general lack of consumer research on the subject, IFIC’s “Consumer Sodium Research: Concern, Perceptions and Action”1 does shed some much-needed light on the matter. Here is some of what was learned.